Dropped Third Strike

IMHO - 9.27.08

Here we go again - the Mets' chances of making the playoffs come down to the last day of the season. I would imagine that Mets fans have a higher level of stress than most - and may even have a shorter life expectancy because of it.

Johan Santana is worth every cent spent on him. I have said this all along. He proved it again today by tossing a three-hit shutout, on three days rest, in a game where he was needed the most. 16-7, 2.53 ERA - only a few wins away from a Cy Young. The bullpen is to blame for this. For everyone that said his stuff isn't as good as it used to be - this is his lowest ERA over a full season. He also gave up 10 less home runs this year than last year.

I would like to change my pick for NL MVP. As much as it hurts, Ryan Howard is the correct choice. His level of production has been incredible, and the timing is even better (unless your a Mets fan).

Please come back Mark McGwire.

Where in the world is Barry Bonds? Is he still working out hoping some one signs him? I haven't seen anything.

The Rays did it. The are the Anti-Mets. The won the AL East when no one thought it was possible. Thank you Rays for knocking the Yanks out of the playoffs. I am glad to see them go, just like the Braves a few years ago.

Is Larry (Chipper) Jones going to name his next child Citi?

We could see a Cubs-Rays World Series... That would be different. I am not sure the Tropicana Dome is ready for the World Series. I love the stadium - parking might be a problem!

If K-Rod wins the Cy Young because he leads the league in saves, then Ichiro should win the MVP for leading the league in At-Bats.

Jason Giambi is a dork.

IMHO - 9.13.08

The Mets started the day at the dreaded 145 game mark - at that point last year, they were up by 7 games with only 17 games left to play. It seemed almost impossible for them to not make the playoffs, but, they ended up one game behind the Phills - Mets fans will never be the same, myself included. We will never be comfortable with a lead again.

This year, however, I think will be different. The resurgence of Carlos Delgado, the emergence of Pelfrey, and the presence of Santana change the dynamic of the N.L. East race, and the Mets are a much tougher team to beat. Jon Niese looked good tonight, too.

I keep reading about teams' payrolls and who they can afford to sign this off-season. It is a little interesting, but I just don't care how much is spent on players. There is this backwards notion that ownership and management really care about winning and fans really care about the bottom line. As a fan, I only care about seeing my team win. I don't care how much they spend to do it. I will never say, "oh, I don't mind that they finished last because they have a $30M payroll, at least they turned a profit." For the owners, this is a business, and if they go bankrupt, winning the wild card doesn't make it any better. For them, it is all about the bottom line.

That being said, if another person tells me how great the Marlins did this year considering their payroll, I may throw up. The Marlins are full of good players who are under team control. Give me a break, every infielder has at least 25 home runs, that's ridiculous. They are loaded with great talent, and still no one goes to the games! If you are a Marlins fan and you are upset that some of your players might not be back next year, then go to some games. You can't pay salaries if you aren't making money on ticket sales. It is all about the bottom line. The Marlins management has down a good job securing great talent on a pathetic budget. Imagine if they were selling out some games...

The AL East race is a little too close for comfort. The Rays let the Sox sneak back in, but I still think Tampa Bay will hold on. It is a great story, but not as great as the story about the other New York team that is sitting in fourth place. That's right, I said it, the other New York team, the Yankees. Hank is nuts, I think he will sink one of the greatest ships in baseball, if not sports, history.

IMHO - 8.30.08

We're down to the final month - and some interesting story lines are developing...

K-Rod is going to destroy the record for saves in a season, probably earning over sixty by the end of the season. He has been getting some talk in Cy Young discussions, but does he deserve it? I don't think so - the save is a highly-overrated statistic. It means very little. For example, tonight for the Mets, Ayala gave up two runs in the ninth, but because he came in with a three-run lead, he gets a save. Awful performance, but gets a save... Here some reasons he shouldn't even get one vote:

- Of the 19 closers with at least 25 saves this year, 8 have a better ERA than K-Rod. His ERA is good, but not incredible for a closer.

- He has pitched in 62 games, but has only pitched about 56 innings.

- Yes, he has 51 saves, but has had 56 opportunities. This has nothing to do with his skills.

- There are other closers with a better percentage of saves per opportunities - he just plays for a team that wins more.

Jack feels strongly about this, I think he is going to go into more detail this weekend...

Staying on the "saves" topic - The Mets/Phillies game on Wednesday was the perfect example of how overrated the closer role has become. Carlos Delgado came up to bat with two outs in the eighth, he was having a good night, and was facing a pitcher who (in a small sample of at-bats) he has had some good success against. Brad Lidge was available, but it wasn't the ninth. Charlie Manuel decided to save Lidge for the ninth. The result - a very predictable hit from Delgado, specifically a game-tying home run. He then brings Lidge in for the ninth in a tie game, and Lidge gets lit up. At what point do managers stop managing for stats, and start managing for wins. That decision probably caused that loss, and is the reason the Phillies are in second place.

Another example, the Mets are 16-7 (I think) since Billy Wagner went on the DL. Not bad...

The Yankees are out. Will everyone please stop talking about the Yankees. They irrelevant.

How cool would a Twins/Rays world series be?

The Mets need to pick up Carlos Delgado's option.

The Rays continue to roll, even with poor attendance. It's about a two-hour drive to the stadium for me, but I go when I can. It is exciting, how are they not selling out every game. The stadium is very comfortable, and is air-conditioned!!

Marlins tickets should be free. They will again trade or not sign some of their best players, so they don't need the money for payroll.

I used to love Baseball Tonight, and I still like it, except when Eric Young and Eduardo Perez are on it. I'd rather mute my TV and just watch the highlights. Seriously, please let me know if there is anyone anywhere that likes it when they are on. The whole "Souvenir City" thing is old, very very old.

I do, however, enjoy watching Mets games with Gary, Keith, and Ron. They provide so much insight, and I feel like I understand what is going on much better when I watch them. Just one request for Keith Hernandez, in case he ever reads this (which I doubt he will): Please never talk about Men's underwear on TV again. I am not going to say much more, but you spent to much time talking about Jason Giambi's undergarments a few weeks ago. I couldn't stomach it, and I am still disturbed by it. I have forgiven you for this though.

That's all.

IMHO - 8.19.08

We are half way through August, and things are getting interesting in some divisions, and pretty boring in others.

- The Angels, Rays, and Cubs should be a lock for the post-season. The Rays and Cubs don't have huge leads, but I don't see anyone catching them. All of the other races should make for some exciting September baseball!

- The A.L. Wild Card winner looks like it could be the Sox, I don't mean the Red ones. A Boston and Yankee-free post season will be nice. With the Yankees' season ending at the end of September, Sidney Ponson will have a full winter to hibernate!

- If the Mets can figure out their bullpen mess, the will easily win the East. The only reason it is close is because of all the blown saves. The Mets having good starting pitching. Johan has been excellent (more on him in a second), Ollie has been much more consistent, and Mike Pelfrey has continued to improve throughout the season. John Maine is back, and Pedro has been effective. The bullpen, however, is still a mess.

- I still think the Dodgers will win the West - I have said that all year.

- Johan Santana has been excellent - and has been clutch. Like I said last week, the Mets' bullpen has blown six of his wins - with those he would 17-7 (pretty good for August). His ERA is 2.75, only 0.15 higher than the league leader. The bullpen has cost him a shot at the Cy Young.

- I enjoyed Lee's article about the Twins - maybe someone should forward it to Hank and George Steinbrenner, and teach them to win and save a few bucks. Maybe they need a good mascot. How about someone like Mr. Moneybags - he looks like Mr. Met, but he carries around bags of money and throws excess cash at over-aged, over-rated baseball players.

- Riveraveblues.com speculates about the future of Derek Jeter. I couldn't imagine him somewhere else, I am sure the the Yanks will throw huge amounts of money at him, too. I mean, he is worth more than Jorge Posada, who they over-paid for. Maybe Ford will kick in some, I heard he drives a Ford Edge... Yeah, he's got an edge. (I am so sick of those commercials).

Price Is Right for Rays

So - if you have been following anything with the Rays through this point, you probably know that my clever title up there has nothing to do with the cost of the tickets for the Trop. David Price has officially been promoted to the Triple-A Durham Bulls following outstanding performances in both single and double A.

Price was lights out in single A ball for the Vero Beach Rays where he went 4-0 with a sub 2 ERA. That was great. He then went up to the Montgomery Biscuits where he went 7-0 with another sub 2 ERA while striking out 55 and walking only 16 in 57 innings. That was more than great.

With his quick movement through the farm system, it is entirely possible that Price finds himself playing for the big league club come September. The great part is that the Rays are quoted as having said that they haven't ruled out a role similar to the one Joba played for the Yankees in '07. This one be great for the Rays as it would sure up the back end up their bullpen. Having a rock solid 8th inning guy to set up for Percival would make any Rays lead heading into the 8th virtually a sure thing.

I had my doubts about the Rays holding up as the tail end of the season approaches, but with an addition like that of David Price, I think it may be possible that the Rays will not have to settle for the Wild Card.

IMHO - 8.9.08

So, it looks like Manny may want to be a Yankee next year, maybe for a chance to get back at the Red Sox for the awful way they treated him. They were pretty awful too him, the whole $160M for 8 years really dampened his spirits. What's worse is that they expected him to do his best work. It hardly seems worth it for only $20 Million per year. Then they have the nerve to get mad at him for faking an injury - those knees seem to be working in L.A.

Speaking of $20 Million, Johan Santana is definitely earning his... The Mets owe him something for ruining his shot at a Cy Young, and blowing 6 potential wins for him. Do you realize that if they didn't blow those games he would be 15-7? I get tired of reading all of these stories about what a waste of money he is, and how he isn't living up to the hype. The bottom line is that he is, and the Mets can seem to back him up. A couple of years ago Steve Trachsel won 15 games with an ERA right around 5. At this rate, Johan might not win 12 with an ERA under 3.

The Rays are for real. We are in the middle of August, and they are up by 3.5 games. Two teams will make the playoffs from the A.L. East - and one of them won't be the Yankees. The Yanks starting pitching is a mess - I am not a doctor, but Joba's injury may have had something to do with him being switched to a starter in the middle of the year. Mike Mussina is having a nice year though, and could sure-up his Hall of Fame hopes with a 20-win season.

If they Rays win the division, Evan Longoria should be given strong consideration for MVP. He has 22HR and 71 RBI, and he wasn't even on the opening day roster. He always seems to be in the middle of their wind. MVP voters always seem to look at the playoff teams for candidates. He is the best player on the best team in the A.L. East - and maybe the league.

Jose Reyes is quietly having an outstanding year. People wrote him off with his poor finish last year and poor start this year. He is batting over .300, leads the N.L. in hits and triples, is second in stolen bases, and fourth in runs. If the Mets win the division, maybe he is an MVP candidate?

Speaking of the Mets - I think they should pick up Delgado's option for next year. He will cost $4M if they don't, so to keep him will only cost an additional $8M on top of that to keep him ($12M total). Can they get someone else who can produce for $8M? Probably not... Keep Delgado, spend the money on a big outfield bat. The guy is still hitting.

Are the Cubs really this good? I hope they do not go to the World Series, then what would we talk about? Baseball needs a team to feel sorry for.

Mark McGwire should be in the Hall of Fame. Seriously. He may have been the single biggest reason baseball recovered from the 1994 strike. As a fan, I stopped caring after 1994, and couldn't stop watching McGwire in 1998. We don't know for sure what he did (although some people claim to know), and he was hitting against pitchers who were probably juicing. I am sure he hit against Roger Clemens. His power numbers are outstanding, and he was a hero when baseball needed one. He hit 49 homers in his rookie year, weighing in at 185 pounds - can anyone admit that he just knew how to swing a bat?

The Washington Nationals are pretty bad...

I saw the Houston Astros' fans boo Carlos Beltran the other night. I can see why they would have bad feelings towards him, being as he played there for all of a couple of months - Didn't they know they were just getting a rental? Probably not, mlbtraderumors.com wasn't running then.

Why do the Astros keep looking like buyers? Has no one told them yet that they have no chance - they must not watch Baseball Tonight, or maybe the think they still play in the N.L. West.

That's all for this week.

Leave us some comments and tell us your opinions...

Looking Back at a Few Trades

So now that we are a full weekend series past the trade deadline, I wanted to take a look back and see how some of the big trades that went down are working out. Yeah, I'm aware that it's been 4 days (including today) but who cares, some of them happened before the deadline anyway. So here we go:

Manny - So Manny has been tearing it up so far in LA and Boston fans have to be happy with the production they are seeing from Jason Bay so far. The Pirates - well, who cares about them since they don't really matter for the rest of the year. When this went down I thought the Sox would be hitting some kind of hardship, but it seems that isn't the case. Let's see how long it is until Ramirez is sidelined with knee pain, pinky toe pain, or the biggest ego on the West Coast.

Ken Griffey Jr. - If nothing else, this trade got me to order a new copy of Slugfest for the N64 on eBay (should be here in about a week!) So far he is played in 3 games for the ChiSox while hitting 3/7, scoring  1 run, and driving in 2 (including Jim Thome, not really a point for me pointing that out.) It looks like this trade will work out not too badly for Chicago as long as they don't play him every day in Center. If they do, who knows how long it'll be until he realizes he's got 2 more seasons after this one to mark the 4th decade in which he's played.

Tex to the Angels - Bottom line, not much to write here. Take one of the best players in baseball and add him to the best team in baseball and what's to discuss? The real losers here, the Braves who wasted their time getting him last year.

Nady/Marte - The part that makes this trade go almost no matter what happens is the fact that they grabbed these players for nothing. So far Nady has been ridiculously good batting .385 while belting 3 homers. Marte has been somewhat average, but whatever - Nady makes up for it. This trade is a win-win for the Bombers.

Pudge to NY - Any trade that makes Farnsworth go away is a winning situation for me. In his first few games in the Bronx, he has done a pretty good job including a homer in a big win against the Angels and catching Fatty McLoser (I mean Sidney Ponson) through a pretty darn good game. The only drawback is that Farnsworth is still hurting the Yankees by allowing a comeback win against the Rays.

All right, thats enough premature thoughts on trades. We'll see how they turn out at the end of the year.

DTS Top 5/Bottom 5 - 8.4.08

Each week here at DTS we will be picking the Top 5 and Bottom 5 teams in baseball. The writers here vote, and we will post our results here each Monday. First place (or last place for Bottom 5) are in parentheses.

Top 5
1. Angels (2) - What a great week it was for the Halos, going a combined 5-2 on the road in Boston and New York, and perhaps more importantly, picking up a much-needed power bat in Mark Teixiera. The Rally Monkey lives on!
2. Rays (1) - The Rays are ahead in the toughest division in the majors and nothing seems to be able to stop them.
3. Cubs - To go along with their impressive sweep of the Brew Crew this week, they also improved their already MLB-best run differential to +131. FYI - the second best in baseball belongs to Boston with +91.
4. Red Sox - Maybe trading Manny was a good thing - they haven't lost without him, and Jason Bay (I know he's not technically his replacement, but come on, you know that's how he's going to be looked at all year) is hitting .363 in those three games, and has even gone yard once.
5. Minnesota - He's baaack... Liriano looked good on Sunday.

Other teams getting votes: White Sox

Bottom 5
26. Braves - I pity the fools...
27. Giants - Put Tim Lincecum on a team that hits, at all, and he's a Cy Young candidate.
28. Padres - Which comes first - Hoffman retires, or they bring in the fences at PETCO? The are in last place in the weakest division in the majors.
29. Mariners - They gave up George Sherrill and "The Other" Adam Jones, among others, for Erik Bedard, who has made only 15 innocuous starts this year. It doesn't look like too many more are ahead for him in a Seattle uniform, either. Oops.
30. Nationals (3) - Does their broadcasting crew return from breaks with a hearty, "Welcome back to Major League Baseball...sort of" call, a la Harry Doyle in Major League 2? Is there anybody out there in the Beltway area who can confim this suspicion for me?

Other teams getting votes: Indians, Pirates

IMHO - 8.2.08

Let's see what's going on in the baseball world today -

So it turns out Manny may have wanted to stay in Boston. Apparently Scott Boras told Red Sox officials that Manny would try real hard if they dropped his option for next year - can't say I am not suprised. I wouldn't be suprised either if Manny's behavior issues were all a part of some devious Boras plan to get the Sox to drop him, and let him sign a new big-money contract somewhere else. Boras was not his agent when he signed with the Sox, this is Scott's chance to make a few more bucks. Although I am sure he is all set with the money he stole from the Dodgers when they took Andruw Jones.

By the way, here is a nice picture of Andruw and Manny together. I think Manny is telling Andruw, "Don't worry, it's ok that you have underproduced and have been a let-down, once they promise you the money, it doesn't matter! Manny was totally clutch last night, grounding in to a double play with no out in the bottom of the ninth, and down by one run... Maybe he would have beat it out if he had a little more practice running hard to first base in Boston. I still think the Dodgers got a good deal...

Did you see the Rays/Tigers game last night? Scott Kazmir struggled, although he only gave up two runs. Whether or not he can go deeper into games will be a factor down the stretch - the bullpen picked him up last night, but it doesn't always work that way. Trust me, I know, I am a Mets fan. Evan Longoria should be the Rookie of the Year, and if the Rays win the division, he should be considered for MVP.

It is very exciting to be a Rays fan these days... I used to live in South Florida and went to Marlins games - absolutely pathetic. I remember going in 1998, when they were playing the Cardinals, with Mark McGwire. I also went that year during the week Mike Piazza was a Marlin - the park was mostly empty. That's hard to believe. I still go down there every so often to see them play, and it is sad. It's overpriced, quiet, and boring. I went to see the Rays last night, and the crowd is excited, the tickets were cheap ($12), parking is free if you have four people in your car, and it was dollar hot dog night. I like the dome - it is always nice and cool - I kind of hope they don't get a new stadium, I like this one!

Speaking of the Mets. Please move Aaron Heilman to the rotation or move him out. I think he has good stuff, he just isn't consistent in high-pressure situations. I know the Mets think his place is in the bullpen, but as a Mets fan, I cringe when he starts to warm up. He has value as a starter. Other teams have wanted him as a starter in the past - why not the Mets? How about this - send Pedro to the pen, he can't pitch deep into games anymore anyway. I'd like to see them keep Heilman around and try him out as a starter. He's much better than Victor Zambrano, and the Yankees are giving him a chance.

Good for the Twins for dumping Livan Hernandez and bringing up Liriano. They are have a good shot to win the Central, and perhaps their best pitcher is in AAA... What took them so long? Besides, I have been holding Liriano on my fantasy team, hoping this would happen.

Adam Dunn's nickname is the "Big Donkey." Interesting...

Barry Bonds is now like that kid at school that no one would pick for their kick-ball team.

Mark McGwire please come back.

My dad wants me to remind everyone that Pete Rose should be in the Hall of Fame, and in baseball, and not sitting in a Las Vegas hotel signing baseballs for suckers that pay $100 for another man's signature. I agree, I'll sign your baseball for $5.

When I was 11, Mike Piazza gave me his autograph for free (but my brother stole it, and then I think my mom threw it away... by accident of course. But if I had just cleaned my room like she told me too, she wouldn't have had to clean it for me.).

How about some Kansas City Royals news?

That's all.

The Other Zambrano???

The Yankees must have thrown some Farewell Manny party last night - because someone had to be really intoxicated to sign Victor Zambrano... Mets fans everywhere are getting nauseated just hearing his name.

Although it doesn't show on the back of his baseball cards, the Rays can credit him with 722 strikeouts in 665 innings pitched, one All-Star appearance, 113 starts, and a career 3.53 ERA. Those stats belong to the young Scott Kazmir, for whom the Mets traded to get him. And what did the Mets get in return???? Not much...

Perhaps the Yankees are looking for him to return to his pre-Mets form, where he was an ace for the then Tampa Bay Devil Rays, he was among the American League Leaders in several key categories:

In 2003, He finished 1st place in Walks Allowed, Hit Batsman, and Wild Pitches...

Even more impressively, in 2004 when he finished the year in the National League, he led the American League in walks again, and was second in hit batsman.

It seems as though he is close to returning to form. Now playing AAA ball, he is 0-6, with a 9.45 ERA and a 2.30 WHIP. In 40 Innings pitched, he has walked 30, and has 7 Wild Pitches... But wait, one little piece of good news, he has only hit 2 batters!

Maybe he will be their intentional walk specialist...

I guess they couldn't get Jose Canseco, he must be too busy with his new pharmacy business, injecting clients in the buttocks with B-12 vitamins. He is a much better pitcher.

Somebody please tell me why this makes any sense?